This overview includes information to help you prepare for the Independent School Entrance Exam, commonly called the ISEE. You’ll find details about the test levels, section timing, question types, scoring, registration, retakes, study resources, and sample practice questions.
Test TypeIndependent school admission assessment | Test LevelsPrimary, Lower, Middle, and Upper |
Scored SectionsVaries by level; Lower, Middle, and Upper have four scored sections | Retake RuleOnce per testing season, up to three times per school year |
Exam Background and Purpose
The Independent School Entrance Exam is an admission test used by many independent and private schools. ERB describes the ISEE as an assessment available for students applying to Grades 2 through 12.
The student’s ISEE level is determined by the grade to which the student is applying, not the student’s current grade. For example, a student applying to Grade 7 takes the Middle Level ISEE, while a student applying to Grade 9 takes the Upper Level ISEE.
Key point: the ISEE is not a pass/fail test. Schools review the student’s score report along with other admission materials, and each school decides how it uses ISEE results.
ISEE Levels and Timing
The ISEE has four levels: Primary, Lower, Middle, and Upper. Primary levels are shorter and do not include an essay. Lower, Middle, and Upper levels include four scored multiple-choice sections plus an unscored essay that is sent to schools selected by the family.
What Is on the ISEE?
The ISEE content depends on the testing level, but the Lower, Middle, and Upper levels follow the same major section structure. Each section is designed to measure a different part of a student’s readiness for independent school coursework.
ISEE Sample Practice Questions
Try these original ISEE-style sample questions. These examples reflect common Lower, Middle, and Upper Level question types, but they are not actual ERB or ISEE exam questions. Primary Level questions are shorter and use a different format.
1. Verbal Reasoning: Synonym
Select the word whose meaning is closest to the word in capital letters.
CANDID
- careless
- honest
- silent
- uncertain
Show Answer and Explanation
Answer: B. honest
Candid means open, direct, or honest. The closest synonym is honest.
2. Verbal Reasoning: Sentence Completion
Although the instructions seemed ______ at first, the teacher’s diagram made the process easy to follow.
- obscure
- generous
- careless
- ordinary
Show Answer and Explanation
Answer: A. obscure
The contrast word “although” shows that the instructions first seemed unclear but later became easy to follow. Obscure means unclear or difficult to understand.
3. Quantitative Reasoning: Quantitative Comparison
Compare the two quantities.
Quantity A 30% of 80 | Quantity B 1/4 of 100 |
- Quantity A is greater.
- Quantity B is greater.
- The two quantities are equal.
- The relationship cannot be determined from the information given.
Show Answer and Explanation
Answer: B. Quantity B is greater.
30% of 80 is 24. One-fourth of 100 is 25. Since 25 is greater than 24, Quantity B is greater.
4. Quantitative Reasoning: Number Pattern
Look at the pattern below.
3, 7, 15, 31, 63, ___
Which number comes next?
- 95
- 111
- 127
- 129
Show Answer and Explanation
Answer: C. 127
Each number is doubled and then increased by 1: 3 × 2 + 1 = 7, 7 × 2 + 1 = 15, and so on. Therefore, 63 × 2 + 1 = 127.
5. Reading Comprehension
Read the passage.
When a city replaces a vacant lot with a community garden, the change may seem small. Yet the garden can affect the neighborhood in several ways. It can give residents access to fresh produce, create a shared gathering space, and provide a place where children learn about plants and insects. A garden cannot solve every problem in a neighborhood, but it can become a useful part of a larger effort to improve community life.
Which statement best expresses the main idea of the passage?
- Community gardens are mainly useful because they replace all other neighborhood programs.
- A community garden can support a neighborhood in several practical and educational ways.
- Vacant lots are more useful than gardens because they require less maintenance.
- Children should study insects only in formal science classes.
Show Answer and Explanation
Answer: B. A community garden can support a neighborhood in several practical and educational ways.
The passage lists several benefits of a community garden and emphasizes that it can be one useful part of improving community life.
6. Reading Comprehension: Vocabulary in Context
In the passage from Question 5, the word access most nearly means:
- a way to obtain or use something
- a rule that prevents entry
- a mistake in planning
- a type of plant disease
Show Answer and Explanation
Answer: A. a way to obtain or use something
The passage says the garden can give residents access to fresh produce, meaning it can give them a way to obtain or use fresh produce.
7. Mathematics Achievement: Algebra
Solve for x:
2(x + 3) = 18
- 3
- 6
- 9
- 12
Show Answer and Explanation
Answer: B. 6
Divide both sides by 2 to get x + 3 = 9. Subtract 3 from both sides: x = 6.
8. Mathematics Achievement: Geometry
A rectangle has a length of 12 inches and a width of 5 inches. What is its area?
- 17 square inches
- 34 square inches
- 60 square inches
- 120 square inches
Show Answer and Explanation
Answer: C. 60 square inches
The area of a rectangle is length times width. Therefore, 12 × 5 = 60 square inches.
9. Mathematics Achievement: Probability
A bag contains 4 red tiles, 3 blue tiles, and 5 green tiles. If one tile is chosen at random, what is the probability that it is blue?
- 1/4
- 1/3
- 3/5
- 3/12
Show Answer and Explanation
Answer: A. 1/4
There are 12 tiles total: 4 + 3 + 5 = 12. There are 3 blue tiles, so the probability is 3/12, which simplifies to 1/4.
10. Essay Practice
Students at a school are planning a service project. Some students want to clean a local park, while others want to collect books for younger children. Which project would you choose, and why?
Show Response Guidance
There is no single correct essay response.
A strong essay should clearly state a choice, explain at least two reasons, use organized paragraphs, include specific examples, and maintain clear grammar and sentence structure.
How Is the ISEE Scored?
The ISEE is norm-referenced, meaning a student’s performance is compared with a defined group of other ISEE test takers. For Lower, Middle, and Upper Level tests, the score report includes four scored multiple-choice sections: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, and Mathematics Achievement.
ISEE scaled scores range from 760 to 940 for each scored section. The score report also includes percentile ranks and stanine scores. A percentile rank is not the percent of questions answered correctly; it shows how the student performed compared with the norm group. Stanine scores range from 1 to 9.
Score Basics
- No pass/fail result: each school decides how to use ISEE scores.
- Scaled score range: 760 to 940 for each scored section.
- Stanines: 1 to 9, with higher stanines indicating stronger performance compared with the norm group.
- Percentiles: compare the student with other students in the ISEE norm group.
- Essay: not scored by ERB, but sent to selected schools for review.
- Score recipients: families choose which schools receive the score report.
Registration, Costs, and Testing Options
Families register for the ISEE through the ISEE parent account system. Testing options vary by location and may include at-school testing, in-office testing, Prometric testing, and at-home testing. Paper and online availability also varies by test site.
Current fees depend on the testing level and administration type. For students applying to Grades 5 through 12, at-school testing is listed at $165, in-office group testing at $225, in-office individual testing at $255, Prometric testing at $250, school-administered at-home testing at $165, and ERB-administered at-home testing at $240. Additional fees may apply for phone registration, late paper registration, walk-in paper registration, rescheduling, or cancellation.
Fee waivers are available for families with financial need. ERB says fee waiver questions should be directed to the school or schools to which the student is applying.
Before You Register
- Confirm the grade the student is applying to, then select the correct ISEE level.
- Check the application deadlines for each school.
- Choose paper or online testing if both formats are available.
- Choose the testing location or at-home option that fits the student’s needs.
- Confirm the registration fee and any possible late, phone, cancellation, or rescheduling fees.
- Review score recipient options before and after testing.
- Request accommodations early if the student needs approved testing supports.
Test-Day Rules
Test-day rules vary by format and location, but students should expect strict timing, assigned breaks, and limits on personal items. For Lower, Middle, and Upper Level paper tests, students use a test booklet and answer document. For online tests, students mark answers on a testing device, and Lower, Middle, and Upper Level students type the essay.
Calculators, phones, smart watches, books, cameras, personal paper, and other prohibited items are not allowed unless specifically approved as part of a testing accommodation.
Test-Day Checklist
- Arrive early and follow the check-in instructions from the test site.
- Bring required identification if your testing level or location requires it.
- Do not bring prohibited electronics or personal items into the testing room.
- Use breaks only when scheduled.
- Work only in the section currently being administered.
- Answer every question, since there is no penalty for incorrect answers.
- Review answers within the same section if time remains.
Retaking the ISEE
Students may take the ISEE once per testing season. The three testing seasons are Fall, Winter, and Spring/Summer.
This means a student may test up to three times in a school year, but not more than once in the same testing season. Families should plan test dates around application deadlines and score-report timing.
How Can I Prepare for the ISEE?
Begin by confirming the correct ISEE level, then study the section types that appear on that level. Students taking the Lower, Middle, or Upper Level should practice vocabulary, sentence completion, quantitative comparison, passage-based reading, math achievement, and essay organization.
Strong preparation should include timed practice because several ISEE sections move quickly. It is also important to review missed questions carefully and identify whether the issue was vocabulary, reading evidence, math content, calculation accuracy, or pacing.
ISEE Study Checklist
- Confirm the student’s ISEE level based on the grade being applied to.
- Review vocabulary, synonyms, sentence completion, and word clues.
- Practice quantitative comparison, estimation, logic, ratios, fractions, percentages, and data interpretation.
- Practice reading passages for main idea, supporting detail, inference, organization, tone, and vocabulary in context.
- Review math achievement topics such as arithmetic, algebra, geometry, measurement, data analysis, and probability.
- Practice writing short, organized essays with a clear answer, supporting reasons, and specific examples.
- Use timed section practice, not just untimed review.
- Analyze missed questions and keep a running list of repeated mistake types.
ISEE Study Resources
Best Online Course:
Top Study Guide:
High-Quality Flashcards:
Free Practice Resources:
- Mometrix Free ISEE Lower Level Practice Test
- Mometrix Free ISEE Middle Level Practice Test
- Mometrix Free ISEE Upper Level Practice Test
ISEE® is a registered trademark of E3n, Enrollment Management & Educational Records Group, Inc. StudyGuideZone and Mometrix are not affiliated with or endorsed by E3n, ERB, EMA, or any official ISEE testing authority.
Last Updated: July 2026
